Fiona McKenzie Johnston
Fiona McKenzie Johnston has been contributing to House & Garden since 2017. She writes the art pages as well as decorating columns for the website, having started her career with the magazine’s sister publications AD and Vogue. She has an MA in History of Art from the University of St. Andrew’s, which included the study of furniture and decorative arts, and she came to journalism via a spell in the V&A’s Furniture Department.
Fiona has lived in - and loved - a variety of houses of differing styles, from a Jacobean manor house to a 1960s-designed central London maisonette. She is now in the process of renovating and decorating a Victorian terrace on the East Sussex coast, involving much DIY. Her spare time is mostly spent on the beach with her children, or at exhibitions, or reading vintage decorating books and biographies and scrutinising the interiors and exteriors of any house she can visit – both for ideas, and because she is endlessly fascinated by how people live.
Why we should all consider making the decoration we can’t afford
How to tap into the creativity that will enable japanning, marble-effect painting, the production of Impressionist pictures, and more
Is it the house that makes a home – or the stuff that fills it?
Can you take ‘home’ with you in the form of your things, or is it something within the walls of an individual house?
The idiosyncratic beauty of artist Rose Wylie's studio
Fiona McKenzie Johnston and photographer Joshua Monaghan visit the Royal Academician whose idiosyncratic space reflects the freedom of her process
The classic interiors pieces that will always be worth the investment
There are some pieces which never go out of style, and whose lasting value is undoubtedly greater than their initial cost. From a blue and white china collection to a good Turkish rug, these decorative elements are a good investment at any budget
Art
The best exhibitions in London this month
From a once in a century Van Gogh retrospective to Tim Burton's 600-piece showcase at the Design Museum, here's our invaluable guide to the best exhibitions in London to see in October
What it's like to pose for a nude sculpture – and how to display it at home
Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers what it's like to commission – and live with – a naked portrait of yourself
What makes an interior theatrical?
Fiona McKenzie Johnston explores the transferrable lessons we can take from stage sets, and meets the interior designers who straddle both disciplines
Why your doors are the decorative opportunity you've been neglecting
Have you been ignoring your doors? Fiona McKenzie Johnston explores how doors can be a valuable part of a decorative scheme
How artists have impacted interior design, from Monet to Donald Judd
Experimentation, improvisation, self-expression, destruction – and the artist-designed furniture and homeware to look out for now
Dear Fiona: I panic when people come over – how can I make it effortless?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston helps a reader get over their fear of entertaining at home
The complete guide to hanging curtains
Tracks, curtain poles, filials, swags, cording and more – because you can't plan drapery perfection if you don't know what's possible (and it’s a brilliant means of refreshing a room)
Dear Fiona: I can't abide my husband's taste in bathrooms – what can I do?
Our resident agony aunt helps one reader whose husband has less than desirable taste when it comes to decorating a bathroom. How do you compromise on tile size? Or tap colour? Fiona answers all
Dear Fiona: how do I get out of a ‘saving things for best’ mindset?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston advises on how to make the most of our loveliest pieces to bring a little joy to every day
How decorating with food can bring fun and humour to an interior
Designers are putting a fresh spin on the relationship between food and interiors – and we should be taking note. Are you ready to be decorating with pineapples, pomegranates – and pizza?
Dear Fiona: why do people turn their noses up at conservatories?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers whether the conservatory has become an irredeemable feature, and what the best options for inside-outside space are now
Are we expecting too much from our homes?
Comfort, warmth, somewhere to keep our stuff – must they make us feel rooted, too? Or can we learn to be at peace with hiraeth? And might it, even, be a blessing?
Dear Fiona: is the dining room truly dead?
House & Garden's friendly resident decorating columnist and agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers whether the dining room has had its day in favour of kitchen dining, and if so, how do you create a sense of occasion when the washing up is in your eyeline?
Why is it so hard to create a stylish space for exercise? (And how to do it better)
Fiona McKenzie Johnston explores the aesthetics of exercising at home, from ballet in bathrooms and tricep dips on ottomans to Kelly Hoppen’s exercise essentials – and the ideal art for a home gym
What style tribe are you? From ‘English Eccentrics’ to ‘Collectors and Curators’ and ‘Practitioners of Pretty’
Fiona McKenzie Johnston deep dives into the different design camps of the interiors world to help you define your aesthetic
Dear Fiona: what's so wrong with buying reproduction furniture?
Our agony aunt and resident decorating expert breaks down a taboo: when are reproductions okay, and when not?